The End
by harmonybyrd
Summary: At what point in the journey did the fellowship end? Gimli and Legolas discuss some ideas as they sail westwards.


A/N: (Feel free to skip this and move on to the story) I wrote this quite some time ago when in my Maths lesson I started wondering when the fellowship of the ring ended (we were doing something in maths I didn't understand and my mind wandered off). I asked my friend what she thought (some of her ideas and suggestions are in here), though in the end neither of us could make up our minds. In my next lesson (English) I started wondering what the fellowship would say (guess how boring my English lesson was?), and so I wrote this. Please read and review, this is the first time I've written these two seriously (fairly seriously anyway) and I want to know if I've got them out of character.  
  
Disclaimer: no one mentioned in the following story belongs to me (sadly); they are the work of Professor Tolkein and belong to him, I am merely borrowing them.  
  
"And so the Fellowship of ring has at last met its end." Said Gimli solemnly.  
  
Legolas, who was leaning on the side on the boat, stared "Gimli," he said carefully "Have you been at that mead Eldarion gave us already?"  
  
"No!" said Gimli indignantly "Well, yes, but that's not the - wait a minute, what are you implying?"  
  
"Why are you so solemn?"  
  
"Well - this is the end of the Fellowship, I though the occasion warranted a bit of - what?"  
  
Legolas was smiling with his head tilted to one side "Where have you been for the last few decades, Gimli?"  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"The Fellowship ended years ago!"  
  
"No it didn't!"  
  
"It did! After Boromir died and we all went our separate ways the nine of us were never all together again."  
  
"Yes we were! At Aragorn and Arwen's wedding, remember?"  
  
"Yes I do, and I remember Boromir wasn't there, we were never nine again after that, were we?"  
  
"Well, no. But if you're going to look at it like that, then you might as well say it ended after that incident in Moria when we lost Gandalf, after all, all nine of us were all together again after that, were we? And the Lady Galadriel herself told Frodo the Fellowship was breaking when we were in Lorien."  
  
Legolas nodded slowly "A good point," then he smiled slyly "So you've changed your mind?"  
  
"No, I was - merely pointing out another alternative."  
  
"So you admit you are not right?"  
  
"No, I mean, I was just.speculating. That's it; I was simply keeping an open mind and making constructive suggestions." He finished with a small nod to back his words up.  
  
Legolas raised an eyebrow "Indeed? Not as thick-skulled as you seem."  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all. So you believe the Fellowship ended in Moria?"  
  
"No, as I said I was merely suggesting it,"  
  
"Well, Gandalf was alive most of the time, and after he died he came back again."  
  
"Yes, but he wasn't with us, that's what's important."  
  
"You're being very defensive considering you're just suggesting this."  
  
"I'm merely arguing your idea may not necessarily be the right one."  
  
"So when did the Fellowship end? When Gandalf fell? When Boromir died? When we separated at Amon Henn? When we separated after Aragorn was made King of Gondor and Arnor? When Gandalf, our leader and Frodo, the Ring-bearer left Middle Earth and sailed to Valinor? As we leave now? When did it end, Mellon nin, when?"  
  
"Oh, how am I to know? I am but a thick-skulled Dwarf who hews orc necks, forty-two at a time," he added with a grin "I am no great thinker, you tell me."  
  
There was silence for a few moments, with nothing but the sound of the waves against their boat. Then-  
  
"How can we be so sure it has even ended yet?"  
  
"I'm not a philosopher, Gimli, just an air-headed Elf who shoots down orcs, forty-one at a time, so you'll forgive me for asking you to explain."  
  
"Well, I suppose I mean there's still you and I and Gandalf, maybe even Frodo and Sam, though they'd be very old by now, particularly Frodo, so it can't really have ended yet."  
  
"So you mean that the Fellowship will come to an end only when we all dwell in Mandos' Halls?"  
  
"I think so," said Gimli uncertainly.  
  
"If that were the case, then the Fellowship will never end, Gandalf and I will go on."  
  
"If you can get by without the rest of us." Replied Gimli wickedly.  
  
"I managed to get by without having two Men, who stank to the heavens, four Hobbits who did nothing but complain and daydream about food and a disgruntled Dwarf to argue with for nearly two thousand years, Gimli. I think I'll manage."  
  
"You forget Gandalf."  
  
"I didn't forget Gandalf, he'll always be there whether I manage to get by without him or not. Who knows, maybe he won't be able to get by without being surrounded by hobbits to push in to line. I'm sure he enjoyed that, I don't care how much he denies it."  
  
Another short silence followed.  
  
"Do you think that's it, then?" asked Gimli quietly "Do you think it'll end when we're all dead?"  
  
"I've no idea. Like I said before, if that's the case, Gandalf and I will be able to carry it on and it'd never end."  
  
Gimli nodded. "I like that idea."  
  
"Me too."  
  
There followed yet another short silence.  
  
"Legolas?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"How long will it take us to get there?"  
  
"Many months, I'd imagine, Gimli. Why do you ask?"  
  
"We're not going to have these kind of debates and conversations all the way there, are we?"  
  
"Not if you don't want to."  
  
"Good, it's tiring for a Dwarf my age to be right all the time." He said, grinning.  
  
"Who says you're always right? Honestly, you make one good suggestion -"  
  
"Which finished the debate,"  
  
"-and you think you're infallible." Legolas sighed "We are going to be arguing all the way there, aren't we?"  
  
"And probably going down the ramp on to the quay."  
  
"Thank goodness for that, I thought you were going to spend the whole journey napping."  
  
"Napping? How dare you!"  
  
As the boat sailed further away from the shore so faded the voices of the last of the nine walkers in Middle Earth, bringing an end to the Fellowship.  
  
Well, in Middle Earth at least.  
  
A/N: I've just seen "Return of the king" in the cinemas (and I have to say it's the finest of the three, and I love that tiara Legolas wears near the end), and they try to pin the ending of the fellowship down. I have not taken any heeding from this and have not changed this story because of it.  
Please leave a review and a happy yuletide and new year to all! 


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